9.15.2010

How to Store Seeds


Start with dry seeds: When collecting seeds from your garden make sure that they are completely dry before trying to store them. If the seeds develop mold then they are not usable. For additional tips on drying seeds go to http://www.organicgardening.com/) I wash mine to remove any pulp and then place them on several layers of paper towels. Then put them in an area with no direct sunlight but good air flow for a week or so, then can move them to a permanent storage container.
Packing: Once the seeds are thoroughly dry it is time to place them in some sort of envelope that can be marked with the variety name, date and any other helpful gardening information. Then place them in some type of resealable storage container. You will need a container that will seal out humidity and rodents. It is best not to use cloth, paper or a thin plastic bag. For extra protection from moisture add some dry milk powder or a desiccant such as silica gel to the bottom of the container.
Storage area: You need to then find a good area that is cool, and dry. Most seeds remain viable at a constant storage temperature of 40 degrees or lower. This makes the refrigerator a good choice. If you do use the refrigerator when you take out the container let warm to room temperature before opening it up to remove the seed packets.
Seed Viabilty: Even when you do all the right things seeds may not be viable, so it is best to check them out before doing all of the hard work of planting. To do so spread about 10 seeds from each packet on a wet paper towel, fold it, then place into a plastic bag, seal and label the bag. Allow these bags to remain at room temperature for a week or more. If all 10 seeds sprout, you're in business. Even it only 6 do go ahead and use the seeds just sow more thickly to allow for the seeds that may not germinate.


Chart of Expected Life Span of Stored Seeds


1-2 years          
            Corn               
Onions & leeks
Parsley
Parsnips
Peppers


3-4 years
Asparagus
Beans & peas
Beets
Cabbage Family
Carrots
Squashes & pumpkins
Tomatoes


5-6 years
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Melons
Spinach

8.23.2010

Fall Vegetable Planting Guide for Central Texas

You can almost taste those fresh Fall veggies, and feel the cooler weather.  Well at least with a good imagination.  Eventhough the weather is still so hot, it is not too early to plan your fall garden.

Here is a list that I took from Texas Extension.  If there is no notation next to the plant variety then direct sow seeds.

Beans, Snap and Lima                August 15-Sept 15
Beets                                         Sept 15-Oct 31
Brocolli (transplants)                  Sept 1-Oct 31
Brussell Sprouts (transplants)     Sept 1-Oct 31
Cabbage (transplants)                Sept 1-Oct 31
Cabbage, Chinese (transplants)  Sept 1-Oct 31
Carrots                                      Oct 1-Oct 31
Cauliflower (transplants)             Sept 1-Oct 31
Swiss Chard                              Sept 15-Oct 31
Collards (transplants)                 Sept 1- Oct 31
Garlic                                        Oct 1 - Nov 31
Greens, Cool Season                Sept 15- Nov 31
Kale (transplants)                      Sept 1-Nov 31
Kohirabi (transplants)                Sept 1- Oct 31
Lettuce                                     Sept 1- Dec 31
Mustard                                    Oct 1-Nov 15
Onion, bunching                        Sept 15-Oct 31
Onion, bulbing                          Jan 15-Feb 15
Parsley                                     Sept 15-Oct 31
English Peas, Snap & Snow      Sept 15-Sept 30
Shallots                                    Oct 1-Dec 31
Spinach                                    Oct1-Dec 31
Squash, Summer                      Aug 1 - Sept 15
Turnip                                      Oct 1-Nov 15
Tomatoes (transplants)             July 15-Aug 15


Happy planting.  Keep checking my website as I post the ever changing garden each month.
until next time,
Laurie

8.20.2010

Love of Gardening Even In The Heat

You know that one is a die hard gardener when the actual temperature outside is 109 degrees and you still have the desire to be outside and garden.  I feel very couped up inside, like in the dead of winter when I cant get out and do some type of gardening.  So I have decided to not stay in completely but be smart about when I do get outside.  In this heat we really need to remember to stay hydrated, and in the shade as much as possible, taking breaks every 15 minutes.  Also getting out very early or late in the evening seems to good times.

It is time to think about the Fall garden in Texas.  Some plants like pumpkins, gourds etc... need to have their seeds already in the ground so by the time the first frost arrives you have gathered your crop.  The Texas Extension Agency has a wonderful pdf. one can download for Spring and Fall planting times.  So start carefully working on getting your Fall plant beds ready for the yummy cooler weather crops.

8.05.2010

Summer Survival

It is so hot here I read that you definately could fry an egg or maybe a chicken or two.  My poor birds are trying to keep cool.  This one I caught dusting herself, 


 Others I have seen seeking shelter under my covered porch.  Bless their hearts they still are laying eggs, though not as many as usual.



One of my cats I caught napping under a chair on the same back porch.  She's got the right idea.


Animals aren't the only things that need some shade in the extreme summer heat.
My plants need help too.  I just placed a thick layer of organic hay on top of the soil.  With French Intensive gardening the ground should always be covered either with plants growing or some type of mulch.  It keeps the nutrients in the soil for the plants and also moisture.  The great thing about this is as it deteriorates it is composting right in the garden.  One thing to remember, grass on top of the soil.  Never mix it into the soil because instead of adding nutrients the nitrogen in the grass will rob the plants of nutrients.  Always lay it on top.
The strawberries need some extra help.  These Sequoia varieties were planted last October 2009.  I really need them in a bed with more shade, so for now I am trying to keep them alive with hay and a shade cloth.  I even have a landscape cloth around the roots of the plants, but this heat is almost too much for them.  If they survive I will move them to the front bed in October.  Strawberries should be planted in the same bed each year, dont have to rotate them out like other crops. 

Plants that handle the heat and butterflies love

ZinniasTithonia or Mexican SunflowerRed Sage

These are all plants that survive even our most brutal summer temperatures and another bright surprise is the beautiful butterflies that visit them throughout the day.  Especially in the morning hours when the temperatures are much cooler, swarms of these beautiful insects visit my garden.  So nice of a treat when everything else is struggling including myself this time of year.

7.26.2010

Been Much Too Long Between Visits

I know that it has been much too long between visits on this blog.  I have been busy in the garden and in my artwork, therefore have been dedicating my time to my other blog, "Inside the Studio with Onetallartist."  Today I have decided to finish what I have slowly been doing, eradicating plants from the garden.  Some of them have done all they could to serve me with fresh vegetables or fruit, others were still trying to hang on, but now I cannot.  I am too hot and tired to enjoy the garden right now.  So I just pulled up most all of my vegetable plants with the exception of a few cantaloupe and tomato vines. 

That is one of the things I hear the most out of myself and my family members, it is too hot in Texas during the summer.  As I age, I tend to agree more and more with them and their desire to move to a more moderate climate.

5.08.2010

Deer Resistant Plants


There are really no tried and true plants that will completely banish deer from your garden, but there are many that are least bothered by them.
SHRUBS:
Agrarita, Boxleaf Euonymus, Bush Germander, Ceniza/Texas Sage, Silverberry, Esperanza, Evergreen Sumac, Firebush, Goldcup, Gray Cotoneaster, Japanese Boxwood, Japanese Yew, Nandina, Oleander, Pineapple Guava, Pomegrante, Primrose Jasmine, Reeve's Spirea, Soft Leaf Yucca, Sotol, Texas Mountain Laurel, Upright Rosemary, Viburnum, Yaupon Holly, Yucca, Thryallis
GROUND COVERS:
Prostrate Rosemary, Germander, Gray Santolina or Lavender Cotton, Green Santolina, Thyme, Wedelia, Frog Fruit, Pigeonberry
PERENNIALS:
Ageratum, Amaryllis, Angel Trumpet, Bouncing Bet/Soapwort, Silver King Artemisia, Autumn Sage, Bearded Iris, Blue Plumbago, Candytuft, Copper Canyon Daisy, Dusty Miller, Elephant Ears, Garlic Chives, Goldmoss Sedum, Gray Santolina or Lavender Cotton, Green Santolina, Hummingbird Bush, Indigo Spires Salvia, Jerusalem Sage, Lantana, Mallow Hibiscus, Marguerite, Mealy Cup Sage, Mexican Bush Sage, Mexican Hat, Mexican Honeysuckle, Mexican Mint Marigold, Mexican Oregano, Oxeye Daisy, Rock Rose, Rosemary, Spined Prickly Pear Cactus, Split Leaf Philodrendron, Texas Betony, Wedelia, Wormwood, yarrow, American Beautyberry, Cape Honeyscuckle, Evergreen Pavonia, Jerusalem Cherry, Shiso, Russian Sage, Society Garlic
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES:
Inland sea oats, Maiden Grass, Gulf Muhley, Linheimer's Muhley, Pampas Grass, Purple Fountain Grass
FLOWERS:
Indigo Spires, Larkspurs, Marigolds, Mealy Cup Sage, Periwinkles, Zinnias, Spider Flower

3.22.2010

Plants To Naturally Attract Hummingbirds

One way to enjoy the company of hummingbirds is to use natural plants in the yard and garden. All of us know how laborious it can be to continually fill, clean and hang conventional feeder, especially when the birds are migrating. Sometimes I have had to do this chore up to 3 times in one day to keep up with the hungry fellas; especially when using the birds favorite treat - add 3 drops of pure organic orange extract to every 4 cups of sugar water.)

You can still keep your feeders if you want and place these plants nearby or replace them altogether. Remember never use pesticides near the plants that these birds visit to feed from it could sicken or kill them. Garden pests can be killed that would eliminate small insects that they rely upon for protein in their diet. If you wouldn't eat it yourself, don't feed it to the hummingbirds.

Since hummers, like most birds, have virtually no sense of smell, the flowers that attract them tend to have little or no fragrance, apparently directing their resources instead toward high visibility and nectar production.

Plants to Attract & Feed Hummingbirds

Trees & Shrubs

Azalea, Butterfly Bush, Cape Honeysuckle, Flame Acanthus, Flowering Quince, Lantana, Manzanita, Mimosa, Red Buckeye, Tree Tobacco, Turk's Cap, Weigela

Vines:

Coral Honeysuckle, Cypress Vine, Morning Glory, Scarlet Runner Bean, Trumpet Creeper

Flowers;

Perennials: Bee Balm, Canna, Cardinal Flower, Columbine, Coral Bells, Four O'Clocks, Foxglove, Hosta, Hummingbird Mint, Little Cigar, Lupine, Penstemon, Yucca

Annuals: Beard Tongue, Firespike, Fushia, Impatens, Jacobiana, Jewelweed, Petunia, Salvia, Shrimp Plant

Butterfly Garden Plant List

NECTAR PLANTS

Trees:

Chinaberry, Chaste Tree (Vitex), Black Cherry, Mesquite, Mexican Plum and Redbud

Vines:

Coral Vine, Honeysuckle, Sweet Pea, Wisteria, Passionflower, Bouganvillea

Shrubs:

Butterfly Bush, Red Buckeye, White Honeysuckle, Mist Flower, Lantana, Agarita, Yellow Bells, Mexican Buckeye, Buttonbush, Hop Tree, Hibiscus, Flame Acanthus, Bird of Paradise, Turks Cap

Herbaceous:

Globe Amaranth, Calendula, Purple Coneflower, Geranium, Marigold, Plumbago, Mexican Sunflower, Bergamot, Brown-eyed Susan, Indian Blanket, Texas Paintbrush, Yarrow, Aster, Chrysanthemum, Cosmos, Goldenrod, Pansy, Mexican Bush Sage, thistle, Blackfoot Daisy, Cardinal Flower, Gayfeather, Salvia, Coreopsis, Butterfly Weed, Cigar Plant, Day Lilly, Impatiens, Pentas, Speedwell, Zinnia, Bluebonnet, Columbine, Mexican Hat, Sunflower, Phlox.

Some Herbs for Cooking

There are so many different types of herbs and ways to use them and in cooking there is no exception. Here is a very abbreviated list and their uses.

Parsley: Although often suggested for winter gardens, parsley will grow through the summer months if it is given some shade. It is a biennial which means it will flower and then set the seed the second season. Both Curly and Italian varieties grow easily and taste good. It should always be growing in the garden, used in salads and thrown into most cooked foods. Parsley is known as a herb that helps settle upset stomachs and freshen breath.

Rosemary: A very strong tasting herb that is great on meats and potatoes. Can be placed on hot coals right before barbecuing food to smoke with its' flavor. Needs sun, good drainage and don't overwater.

Rue: Rue is a very interesting herb that is used as a medicine by many cultures. It makes a great landscape plant and is perennial. Although it looks a little rough during the winter months, it will stay green. The bright, chrome yellow flowers are good for additional color in a herb bed. It is seldom used in cooking.

Sage: Sage is often hard to grow in our hot, humid area. Placing it in a semi shaded area does best. Give it plenty of sun and circulation. It is worth trying as it has a lot of uses. The leaves are great dried and used in herb wreaths. It adds a unique flavor that is essential in some foods and is so much better than commercially dried sage. I especially love to add it to the cavity of a baking Turkey or Chicken.

Thyme: Another very large and diverse group is Thyme. It is such an ornamental plant that the many varieties are worth trying. Thyme can be difficult in our area, but with 400 different types to choose from, keep experimenting. It is a great plant to use in a rocky area of the flower or herb bed. Lemon Thyme can be used fresh or dried to make a wonderful hot tea and in many other salad or baked dishes. Fresh is always best over dried.

What is Organic Gardening?

Organic gardening can be defined as a practice of re-cycling earth's products to produce a more natural, healthy life for, be it a plant, animal or human life. It usually involves the art of composting and using the composted material as a mulch or medium for growing almost anything. The word, "compost" is derived from the Latin verb "componere" which means; put together. It also involves the practice of dealing with nature's undesirable insects and plant life without using soil killers, also known as chemicals.

The goal in your gardening is to build healthy soil that will provide all the nutrients you plants need to be healthy. Healthy soil is living soil. It is full of microorganisms constantly breaking down plant material and making nutrients available to the plants. There is a whole-unseen world of activity going on underneath your plants and providing stimulation and nutrition to their roots. These tiny critters are naturally present in the soil; they really want to do their job. All they need is a little encouragement to grow.

They're many natural ingredients for good soil building. A few of them are water, seaweed, fish emulsion, used coffee and tea grounds, cow and other animal manures, just to name a few.

The principles to organic gardening are simple.

  • Stop using poisons. Vow to use only organic fertilizer and pesticides
  • Pledge to support your organic goals by engaging in sound horticultural practices such as composting, companion planting and inter planting. Learn to appreciate frogs, lizards and even a few garden pests.
  • Get a soil test done.
  • Amend the soil with 1 to 2 inches of organic compost once a year
  • Choose a wide variety of plants. A diverse planting helps deter insects and keeps disease from spreading fast. Feed the plants as well as you do the soil, but use organic fertilizers on your plants.
  • Re-cycle whenever possible
  • Talk to other organic gardeners.

In conclusion, a sensible definition of Organic Gardening could be:

"The science and art of gardening by incorporating the entire landscape design and environment to improve and minimize the gardens soil, health, structure, testure as well as maximize the production and health of developing plants without using synthetic commercial fertilizers, pesticides or fungicides."

Making Herb Vinegars

Herbal vinegars are one of the great ways to use and enjoy many easily grown herbs. Not only are they useful, but have few calories and can make great gifts. There are many different flavor combinations, but the fundamental steps are all the same. To begin think about what type of flavor do you want? Using white wine or apple cider vinegar is most often used and makes the best base, but regular white vinegar is strong for delicate and mellow flavoring that herbs impart.

Vinegar is used as a preservative so it is relatively safe to keep and store at room temperature. Make sure though that any additions to the base vinegar be as clean as possible, and that each addition has been washed and dried before adding to the vinegar. A favorite way is to pick the herbs early in the day, rinse in a container of water, then dry on paper towels. Pick off any bad leaves and remove thick stems. Then bruise the herbs by chopping the herbs and then place in a stainless steel container. The amount should be about 1 cup of fresh herbs to 1 gallon of vinegar. Then heat the container just to boiling, but DO NOT BOIL. Pour contents into a glass jar and cover it with plastic wrap then with a lid. Store in a cool, dark place for about 10 days making it ready to be bottled and used.

Possible combinations for vinegar using herbs that are easy to grow:

Basil & Garlic

Burnet & Tarragon

Lemon herbs: Lemon Verbena, Lemon Thyme, Lemon Basil, and Lemon Balm. Garlic can be added to these

Oregano, Mexican Mint Marigold and Garlic

A mixture of the following herbs: Thyme, Tarragon, Burnet, Chives, Oregano, Sage, Dill and Savory. As a general rule Rosemary and Fennel should be used with care because of their very strong distinctive flavor. They are great meat marinades. Fennel is especially good for fish.

After the Vinegar has aged for a time it is time to bottle. Clear or light green jars and bottles make the best containers. Look in hobby store for decorative bottles, but wine, salad dressing or any type of bottle with a narrow neck will be fine. The corks also can be found at hobby or grocery stores. A small funnel is a must with clean pieces of cheesecloth needed to strain. To add to the flavor and appearance of the vinegar add to the bottle, stems, leaves, garlic cloves, small red peppers and herb flowers. To do this a long handled wooden spoon and a skewer are helpful to place the herbs in your bottle. Pick only perfect herbs, then wash and dry them well before you are ready to bottle the vinegar.

Strain the vinegar from the large jar through the mesh sieve into a measuring cup or small pitcher that pours easily. Place the herbs, garlic, flowers etc… into the bottle. Line the funnel with the cheesecloth and strain the vinegar through it. Use tight fitting corks and store in a cool, dim place. Be sure herbs in the bottle are completely covered with the vinegar solution. Although it is tempting to use these decorative bottles full of vinegar in the windowsill, only do so if the vinegar will be used often because the bright light will fade the color and it will lose flavor.

2.27.2010

Meeting Notes for February 20, 2010

We had a small group meet this time, seems like our Saturday obligations are already getting heavy. Those of us that could make it discussed a joint seed order from Henry Fields seed company and a field trip to Antique Rose Emporium and either Brenham for lunch and siteseeing or Marthas Bloomers on the way home for some tea and dessert.

The tenative date is set for Saturday, April 24th. This may change is enough of us can go on a day of the week. A little less crowded that way.

Will be informing members of the definate plans in the near future. Keep checking the website for updates.

Until next time, happy gardening.
Blessiings,
Laurie

Spring Is In The Air

Gardens can be so restorative, especially when you are under the weather. Today I am trying to get over a very nasty cold and decided sitting outside in the garden was just what the doctor ordered. I have to take advantage of days like these when I can.

For it is hard to believe just four days ago, we had about 4" of snow covering the garden. With everything so white and the temperature so cold, Spring time seemed so far away. Today is another story, the temperatures are much warmer, the sun is shining and there is evidence of new growth on some of my plants like the rose bushes.

It was fun imagining what some of the wildflowers will look like, for now all I see are the green leaves. How good the potatoes and onions will taste in a few months. What delicious recipes I can find to cook other vegetables that will come in season. I really hope that I can have an abundance this year of produce that I can preserve and last through the winter months, for it was no fun having to eat frozen veggies like squash, yuck. There was absolutely no taste and the texture was mushy to boot.

Until next time, enjoy the garden and all the joy it can give.
blessings,
laurie

2.07.2010

Too Many Days Between Visits

Just like this blog it has been too many days between visits to the garden. I don't know about you but the gray, cold winter days don't beckon me to go out into the garden. Although, I have been there just a few days ago to pick some greens and herbs to use in my family's chicken supper it is not yet again a regular ritual.
I am ready to see the plants grow in the warm, spring time sun, poking out their little buds of color, embracing the day. Until those days arrive I will have to be satisfied with planning of my garden and dreaming of beauty returning to the garden replacing the dry, dead of winter.